Key-cutting machine



- F. E. BEST- KEY lCUTTING MACHINE June l, 1923..'l

filed Jan. 18; 1921 W w nullwz 6 ,3. s .v n@ 2 Patented .lune 12, 1923.

FRANK iri rr e.y

ELLISON BEST, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR'TO FRANK E. BEST, INC., OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

KEY-CUTTING MACHINE.

T all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK ELLIsoN BEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, inthe county of King and State of TWashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for producing bits in keys for cylinder :or pin tumbler locks.

The object of my invention is to provide an efficient machine of this character with particular reference to ease, rapidity, and

accuracy of work and to the provision of visual devices for regulating predeterminately the progressive cutting actions of the machine.

With these ends in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

.In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective` view of a key cutting machine embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, said section being taken through 2-,2 of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 2 with a key blank shown in section. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through 4-4of Fig. 2. Fig, 5 is a transverse section through 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 isa detached fragmentary underside view` of the cover for the casing member. Fig. 7 is a section through 7-7 of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of a key illustrative of the character of work performed by the machine. vshown in the preceding views.

The frame of the machine, formed preferably of cast metal, comprises a bed member 10 having at one end a casing member 101 and at its other end a bracket box 102 for a `transversely arranged rock shaft 12. lRig idly secured to the frame bed between said casing and boX members is a die block 13 aiording a table 14 upon whichthe work, s uch as a key blank K Fig. 3, is supported at one side of a guide element 15 of the block. y

The rock shaft 12 is provided in front of the box 102 with a head element 16 and' has secured to its rear end anl operating lever 17.

The cutting of notches or gullets in a key blank is eiected by means of a tool 19 secured, as by a set screw 20, within a socket 21 of the shaft head 16, said tool having a protruding nose or bit 191 which coacts with a shearing edge provided at the table surface 14 and above a groove 22 in the die 13.

Slidably mounted upon the table to travel longitudinally thereof is a carriage 23 provided with a lateral extension 231 which bears upon the table element 15. This carriage 23 carries a feed rod 24 `which is jour naled in the carriage for limited rotary movements. Said feed rod also extends through a guideway provided in the head 25 of a setting bar, per se, whereby lateral movements are imparted to the carriage and feed rod. Secured to the front end of the feed rod is an arm 26 which is equipped with a spur 27 adapted to engage in a slot or recess 28 provided in key blanks, Figs. 3 and 8, to couple the same with said feed rod when the arm 26 is brought into the horizontal position in which it is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and' 3. The feed-rod is formed with a series of ratchet teeth 29 disposed to be at the top of the rod whenthe arm 26 thereof occupies the above mentioned horizontal position.

Engageable with the successive ratchet teeth of the feed-rod for thepurpose of imn parting step-by-step feed movements thereto is a pawl 30 which is secured to an end of a plunger 31 (Fig. 2) extending through a guide 32 of the machine frame.

The plunger, in turn, is actuated by a cam element 33 of the operating lever 17 when raising the same to advance the feed-rod subsequent to the withdrawal of the tool from the work in each cycle of the machines operation.

When the cam 33 is brought downwith the operating lever during a cutting action of the machine a spring 34 (Fig. 2) serves to retract the plunger 31 and pawl 30 for re-engagement with the feed-rod. The feedrod is, however, normally prevented from rearward movement by'means of a catch or 100 detent connected to the head 25 of the aforesaid setting bar.

To restore the feed-rod and the carriage 24 to its rearmost position to receive a blank for cutting, the voperator through the mediumof-ar'm 26"-rotatesthe vfeed rod suilivciently to cause the series of ratchet teeth thereon to be removed from below the deten-tv 35,wheijeupon the carriage and feed-rod are manually pushed back.

The before mentioned setting bar is disposed at right angles to the axes of the rock shaft 12 and said feed-rod 24.

F ork the purpose of regulating the effective' length fof the setting Abar to properly position the' liead 25 thereof upon lthe table 14, such rod is desirably yformed of two axially laligned nieinbers and 87 which 'are I connected together lby an adjusting-nut 38 1engaging screw threads of different pitchesupontherespective" bar] parts. yLock nuts `T 561- B71 may advantageously vbe vfused `to secure-said adjusting nut against ac"cident'almovement.y y i VThe liead L2 5 "forms a'portion lof tlie lbar member l96 'and is provided with Va -neck 4251 which-extends through a guide slot, fsee Fig. f4, providediin the block element 15.

The barmember 'l-i'ncludes a vertically arranged platefelement 3.9, hereinafter designated 'fasthe notcliplate which is seated in#giiidvva-ys*40ct-thecasiiig'inember 1 01 of the machine f"frame "Said notch plate is i rformed or provided in its upper 'portion 35 with a fseri'es 4oli vnotchesl denoted vrespectively by 141,142, "43,' 4 4, etc. 14s-shown in Fig. 4, these notches -areformed ofsubstantially V'- shaped fupper portions which `respectively communicate at'th'eir apeXes twith narrow vertical slots 411, 421,431,441,V etc. The slots are*disposed in fspaced "relations which successively increase by distances apart of, for example,-oneeightieth (1/80) -of an inch;

Asshownin 'Fig.`4 the lett hand sides 412, 422, 432, 44?, etc., ol the various notches are of y'progressively increasing inclinations while the oppositefsides'413, 423, 433, 443, etc., are or inay'fY be similarly inclined, but equal, at least, totlie"slope'fotthe most inclined o'li thecppo'sinfgsides. p

Operable withintherespective notches is a series of iinger keys in: the nature olevers 'which -aredeno.tedbyf451, 452,451, 45, etc.,

' which lare'disposed at equaldistances apart vfhenthe associated ntchesfare arranged as aboveeXplained.

Said levers are fulcrumed to a supporting rod 46 in the'icasing lOlfand extend through .guide slots '47 provided in the front wall of Athecasing. v I

The outer ends of the shifting levers are provide-d with linger engaging extremities 48 '.s'vhichf'are designated by characters such any one of said levers to cause the same to primarily engage one or the other of the tion. For, yieldingly retaining the` shiftingl levers in their idle ypositions in the upper portions ot the respective notches and also in their locked positions within the slots, I preferably employ a system of spring devices such as 'illustrated in igs. 5 and 6.4 More particularly, each of the levers is connected to the rear ofthe fulcrum rod 46 by means oi' a stirrup 49` with the Vendsothelical eX- tensible springs 50 located between the Aadjacent levers, see Fig.` 6, saidsprings `engaging intermediate their respective lengths about hook shaped lugs vor'attachments 51 depending from' the cover52 'of the casing 101.

- The' spring connections moreover, are suchthat when a lever occupies the-elevated idle position in which it is represented in Fig. 5 the axis of the Irespective `spring and the -associatedstirrup connection with alever lies belowthe centercot the 'ulcruinrod46.-

Vheny a leveris in its depressed or. bar flocking position the connection between -thestirrup and the lever isbrought-above they fulcrum aXis resulting in the tensionzoffthc springs exercising, in an obvious manner,y

tripping Adevice comprisingfa horizontaliinr lger 54'carried by an arm .55 of a lever,who'se other arm 56 vis -encountered'by the operating lever17 'inthe .downward movement thereof at` approximately 'the end =of feach cutting' action of f the machine.

rllhe operating lever wlienrin its Alowerw most position, acting through the medium -of the finger 54,teinporarily serves'tofprevent the shiftinglevers from being operated.

For operating theimachine, the lever26 isiirst tilted upto rotate'the. rod 24 suliiciently to `withdraw kthe teeth 29 thereof from enga'geable positions Withthep'awl- 30, the carriage v23 and said 'rod are l.then retracted until arrested byithe'iboss olflever 26 encounteringvthe hea'd 25ctl the setting bar. A key-blank K is now placedl upon" the table surface 14 of the die with its back-edge "against the rear side ofa. recess 2 51providedV in said setting bar'head. The :lever-26fis .thereupon restored to its-` horizontal :position to"accordingly bring the -spur-27 intothe blank .r'ecessf28, -vvheiebyfthe blankis engaged with the carriage23 for longitudinal moveiio ments therewith..V Whenthelever is swung vis rotated to revolve in the blank of a predetermined downwardly to engage the blank the rod 24 the teeth 29 of the same into position to be engaged bythe pawl 30 to effect periodical feeding movements tothe blank during the operation of the machine.

With the blank thus applied, the operator presses down upon the proper one of the finger keys or-levers, 4as 454 for example, which will advance the setting rod Sti-37 a suitable distance so that when thev cutting tool is brought into action it will cut'a notch depth, vas will be indicated bythe characters, as 3 for instance, on the finger engaging eX- tremity of the selected finger-key. c

`When the blank is thus set forward, the

operator pushes the lever 17 downwardly thereby causing the tool to cut a notch in the blank to a predetermined depth as determined by the shifting of the 'setting bar as above explained.

In the ,latter portion of the downward movement of the lever and after the cutting tool has performed its function, said lever engages lever arm 56to cause the tripping devices to disengage the previously employed fingerl key from the notch bar 39 unless a second notchy lof corresponding depth is to be cut in the blank. In such an event the lever 17 is not permitted to engage the lever of the tripping devices.

The lever lr'is then raised resulting in the cam element 33 thereof engaging plunger 3l to thereby act ythrough the medium of the pawl 30 and one of the teeth 29of the carriage rod 24C to advance the blank into position to have the nextk notch-cut therein. l

T he machine is manipulated in this vmanner to produce each of the notches in a blank. i f

What I claim, is,

l. 'In a key cutting'machine, the combinationvwith means for setting a blank yto have notches cut therein to predetermined depths, and ingerlactuated keys lcontrolling `said means, of mechanism for spacing the notches automatically.

2. In a key cutting machine, the combination with mechanism for cutting notches .in

a. key blank, and including an operating lever, of feeding mechanism renderedoperative by said lever for Spacing the notches inv said blank.

3. Ina key cutting machine, the-combination with a cuttingy tool, and a lever for operating said tool, `of devices operated by means of said vlever for' moving a `blank automatically in one direction fory spacing notchescut by said tool,and selective means for regulating a blank to cut notches therein to predetermined depths.- 5 Y: f

4:. In a key cutting machine, the combination with a cutting tool, and operating mechanism therefor, of a blank carrier, feeding means' therefor for spacing notches cut in the blank by said tool, and meansffor controlling ysaid carrier Vto afford notches of variouspredetermined depths. v

5. A key Cutting machine havingnndic element, acutting tooly cooperatingtherewith avcarriagemovable longitudinally of die element, means for operating the cutting tool, and means renderedfoperative by the aforesaid means yto impart feeding movements to a blank key through the instrumenta-lityof the carriage and in timed relation with the movements of saidcutting tool.l

6. Akey .c'utting'maohine having a die element, a cutting tool cooperating therewith, a carriage movable longitudinally: of said d-ie element,'a catch provided on -saidcarriage. and engageablewith a blank, means for operating the cutting tool, and means rendered operative by theaforesaid means-to impart feeding movements to the carriagein timedl relation with the movements offsaid cutting tool. 4 i i v .l

7. In a key cutting machine,` a cutting tool, a die cooperatingvv therewith, a carriage mounted upon said die for movements longitudinally thereof, means connectedto said carriage for Vengaging the blank thereto, means for actuating said cutting tool, means influenced by the second named means for imparting intermittent` feeding movements to said carriage,` and resilient means foreffectingthe movement of said carriage 1in .the opposite direction.

8. 4In a key cutting machine,a cutting tool, a die cooperating therewith, said die serving as a table support for a key blank, a carriage-mounted upon saidfdie for movements longitudinally thereof, means connected to said carriage for` engaging the blank thereto, means for actuating. saidcutting tool, means infiuencedby the second named means for imparting intermittent .feeding movements to said;4 carriage, and .resilient means vfor .eifcctingthe movement of said carriage in the opposite direction.l f Y 9; In a keyl cutting machine, a die, a cutting-.tool cooperating therewith, means to operatel said tool, a carriage provided with ratchet teeth, a` pawl' therefor,-and,` means aected by the tooloperating means to impart feeding movements to the carriage throu h the medium of said pawl.

l0.. nakeycutting machine, a die serving'a's atable support for a key blank, a cuttingtool cooperating with said die, a carriage mounted on 'said die and-including a rotary member having aseries of ratchet teeth'on one'side thereof, a pawl engageable with said ratchet teeth, .means to impart reciprocatory .motion yto* vsaid pawl to effectv the travel; of saidY carriage, andl meansl carried by saidrotary .member and Aengageable 7with a key' blank when the teethv ofsaid Cir tion With a die, a cutting tool cooperating therewith, and means to operate said tool, of a setting bar having a head element seated upon said die for movements transversely thereof, said head having a recess in its underside to accommodate a key-blank, a earriage seated upon the die and connected to said head for movements therewith longitudinally of lsaid bar and also for movements independently of the head in a direction 10 rectangular to the bar, and means to connect a key-blank to said carriage.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 12th day of January, 1921.

FRANK ELLISON BEST. Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES, MARGARET G. SUPPLE. 

